14 Apr 2015, 14:01
Insurance provision in areas at risk of flooding and subsidence will be on the agenda of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform tomorrow afternoon.
14 April 2014
Representatives from the Cork business community, the Office of Public Works, the insurance industry and an a prominent academic expert on insurance and climate issues will be appearing before the Committee.
The meeting will be divided into two sessions. Representatives from the Cork Business Association will appear in the first session at 12pm to discuss their experiences with both flooding and the insurance industry. They will be joined by Swenja Surminski, an independent expert on insurance and climate issues from the London School of Economics.
The second session is anticipated to commence at 2.15pm and will see the Committee engage with representatives from the OPW and Insurance Ireland.
Committee Chairman, Liam Twomey TD says: “Tomorrow’s meeting will be an opportunity to consider how adequate insurance cover in flood-prone areas can be provided for. The Committee is acutely aware of how households, business and farming communities are continually disadvantaged through non-cover or inflated insurance premiums as a result of extreme weather in their communities. The Committee will engage with Swenja Surminski on her extensive work on how the risks associated with flooding are best managed in other countries, as more extreme weather events become more common.
“Cork city is particularly prone to flooding so the opportunity to meet with business representatives on ongoing difficulties they are facing is to be welcomed. In particular, the Committee will wish to explore their concerns that the completion of flood defences in Cork may not result in manageable insurance premiums for businesses and households. During the second session, scheduled to commence at 2:15pm, the Committee will gain an understanding of the ongoing cooperation between the OPW and Insurance Ireland on sharing information on flood risk and flood defences.”
The meeting takes place tomorrow Wednesday 15 April in Committee Room 4, LH 2000 at 12 noon.
Public proceedings can also be viewed online here.
The first session will be broadcast live on Oireachtas TV, accessible on UPC 207, Sky 574 and eVision 504 platforms.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
Media enquiries to:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
paul.hand@oireachtas.ie
Committee Membership
Deputies
Tom Barry, Fine Gael
Richard Boyd-Barrett, People Before Profit
Ciaran Cannon, Fine Gael
Michael Creed, Fine Gael
Pearse Doherty, Sinn Fein
Regina Doherty, Fine Gael
Stephen Donnelly, Independent
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Alan Farrell, Fine Gael
Sean Fleming, Fianna Fáil
Paul Murphy, Socialist Party
Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein
Ciarán Lynch, Labour Party
Michael McGrath, Fianna Fáil
Kieran O’Donnell, Fine Gael
Ciara Conway, Labour
Pat Rabbitte, Labour
Arthur Spring, Labour Party
Peadar Tóibín, Sinn Féin
Liam Twomey, Fine Gael
Brian Walsh, Fine Gael
Senators
Sean D Barrett
Paul Coghlan
Michael D’Arcy
Aideen Hayden
Marc MacSharry
Tom Sheahan